


Cakes and Unfortunate Choices

by LyriaBlackFrost



Series: Gladnis Week 2018 [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, Gladio spends some quality time with his son, Gladnis Week, Light-Hearted, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-23
Updated: 2018-08-23
Packaged: 2019-07-01 09:50:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15771693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LyriaBlackFrost/pseuds/LyriaBlackFrost
Summary: You can’t learn to bake in a single afternoon, but it wouldn’t stop Gladio and Prompto from trying.Day 4: “Famished” for the Gladnis week 2018.





	Cakes and Unfortunate Choices

They set camp as soon as night fell. It was possible to see Galdin Quay from there, where people would spend the night more comfortably than their group, in nice rooms instead of cramped inside a single tent.

“It’s sad to be so close to those comfy beds and having to stay here,” said Noctis.

Prompto agreed with a vigorous nod.

“Yeah, why do we have to camp every time?”

Gladio stopped setting up the tent for a second, looking at them over his shoulder.

“I don’t know why you kids are so against camping,” he said. “Are you willing to spend half of our money in an overpriced inn, for a single night?”

Neither of the boys answered. It hadn’t been easy for them to save money on their journey, and they still had to use what they had to buy food and supplies.

“Well, at least we have Iggy to cook for us.” Prompto glanced at Ignis, who was sorting his cooking utensils and ingredients to make dinner for them.

“Yeah,” said Noctis, “but I sure wanted to eat some fresh fish at the restaurant.”

“I’ll just pretend I didn’t hear that.”

Gladio laughed at how grumpy Ignis sounded.

“You hurt his feelings, Noct,” he said.

“I’m more than used to it by now,” Ignis shook his head with a sigh.

Prompto got up from his chair, approaching Ignis with a radiant smile.

“Aww, poor Igster…” he said. “Don’t worry, we appreciate your cooking, even if the prince doesn’t.”

“I never said that,” complained Noctis.

“Thank you, Prompto,” Ignis smiled at his younger companion. “I’ll let you choose what we’ll have for dinner tonight.”

Prompto’s face brightened.

“Can we have green soup curry?”

“As you wish.”

Noctis stared at them, unhappy with how things had turned out.

“Can’t you stop with the favoritism?” he asked.

“I thought you didn’t care for my food, Noct.”

“I didn’t—”

Gladio gave Noctis a tap on the shoulder.

“Just give up,” he said. “I thought you knew better than to stay on Iggy’s bad side.”

Noctis frowned at him.

“Alright, you guys are just ganging up on me, now.”

Prompto’s spirits were too high for him to join that discussion. He grabbed his camera, turning to face his companions.

“Hey, guys…” he said. “Want to take a walk on the shore as we wait?”

“Why…?” asked Noctis.

“The sky looks beautiful tonight, so I thought I could take a few nice shots.”

“Can’t you do it by yourself?”

“C’mon, Noct… Don’t be lazy.”

He pulled Noctis by the wrist, making him stand up, then turned to Gladio.

“Are you coming too, Gladio?” he asked.

“I’ll go in a moment.”

Those two went ahead, Noctis groaning while Prompto dragged him along. Gladio laughed to himself: Noctis could complain as much as he wanted, but was always willing to go along with whatever any of them — especially Prompto — came up with.

He got up from his chair, approaching Ignis, embracing his waist from behind, resting the chin on his shoulder.

“Are you trying to bribe me, so you can choose dinner too?” asked Ignis.

“No…” he said. “But I thought I could get something else, instead.”

Ignis turned to him, a light smile on his face. They kissed, without any haste, enjoying that brief moment alone.

“Ew, gross!” they heard Noctis’ voice, not too far from them.

They faced each other, sharing a look of disbelief.

“Kids…” grunted Gladio.

“Kids,” agreed Ignis.

They looked at that duo for a moment, seeing them laughing together, sharing more touches than friends usually would. It was obvious they had a crush on each other, but neither Gladio nor Ignis wanted to be the one to break the news to them.

“Were we that obvious too?” asked Ignis.

“I sure hope not, it makes me embarrassed just to imagine.”

Ignis laughed, placing a light kiss on his neck.

“Come on, Gladio!” called Prompto.

They sure seemed determined not to let them have a time for themselves. Gladio let out a loud sigh.

“I’m going…” he said, then looked at his partner again. “Let’s continue this later.”

“I’ll be waiting for it.”

He approached the brats, accompanying them for some minutes, while Prompto took photos of him and Noctis, the sky and the ocean — sometimes all at once. After a while, they stopped walking, sitting on the sand, side by side.

“So…” started to say Prompto, calling their attention. “Can I talk to you guys for a sec?

“Something wrong?” asked Gladio.

“No, not really.”

He stayed silent for a second, organizing his thoughts.

“You know, I’ve been thinking—”

“Congratulations, it must have been hard,” said Noctis.

Prompto elbowed him on the ribs.

“That was totally unnecessary!”

Noctis just laughed, Gladio shook his head.

“And he still wonders why we gang up on him.”

“Fine, fine,” said Noctis, looking at Prompto, intrigued. “So, what were you thinking?”

“Well…” proceeded Prompto. “You know, how Iggy is always cooking our favorite foods, and all that? Don’t you guys think maybe we should do something for him, instead?”

“Like buying him a gift?” asked Noctis.

He and Gladio exchanged glances.

“That would be nice,” agreed Gladio. “Now that I think about it, he mentioned a set of cooking utensils he wanted to buy, back in Insomnia. It slipped from my mind with everything that’s going on, but maybe we could get it for him.”

“Or we could always go Ebony hunting,” suggested Noctis. “No better way to make Specs happy than a bunch of canned coffee.”

Prompto didn’t seem too pleased with those suggestions.

“That’s not exactly what I meant…” he said. “I was thinking of something else, like actually _making_ something for him.

“Like what?” asked Gladio.

“Maybe we could cook for him, for a change.”

Both Gladio and Noctis stared at him.

“That’s a terrible idea, Prompto,” said Noctis.

“Why?”

“I have to agree,” said Gladio. “Since when is any of us good at cooking?”

“We can do it if we try!” insisted Prompto. “Can’t we?”

“I’m not so sure of that,” said Gladio.

“C’mon, guys…”

Gladio and Noctis looked at each other, then Noctis’ eyes widened at something behind his back.

“What are the three of you conspiring about?”

Ignis crouched beside Prompto, who jumped in the same place, letting out a surprised scream.

“Well, that wasn’t a suspicious reaction,” said Noctis, holding back a laugh.

“Not in the least…” There was a hint of amusement on Ignis’ tone. “Should I be worried about my safety?”

“I wouldn’t turn my back to him again in your place.”

“You just startled me!”

Prompto’s face acquired a bright shade of pink, and Gladio felt bad for him. Ignis, however, didn’t seem to have heard much of their conversation, and it gave him an idea. He placed an arm around the boy’s neck, showing a playful smile.

“Well, you’ve caught us,” he said. “Prompto was planning to take a picture of you surrounded by porn magazines while you were sleeping.”

“What?” Prompto stared at him. “I wouldn’t do that!”

“I agree,” said Ignis, “it sounds more like something you and Noct would do.”

Gladio laughed.

“Was it that obvious?”

“Why did you have to team me up with Gladio?” asked Noctis, frowning.

“Should I list all the reasons?”

Noctis twisted his lips, not finding any arguments.

“Alright… I get it.”

“Anyway…” proceeded Ignis. “I just came to inform that dinner’s ready. You shouldn’t take long, or it’ll get cold.”

“Food…” Noctis’ suffering voice could lead someone to believe he had been starving for weeks. He got up, walking towards the camp. Ignis accompanied him, putting a hand on his back.

Gladio watched as those two walked together, casually chatting. Despite all the bickering, Ignis and Noctis were always like that, almost inseparable. Their bond was deeper than most — something between friends and family —, and Gladio couldn’t deny that natural closeness made him jealous when he was younger. Of both.

But now he understood his relationship with them was also unique in its own way. He was Noctis’ Shield and sparring partner, and Ignis’ closest friend and lover.

“C’mon, Gladio…” complained Prompto, freeing himself from the arm around his neck. “Did you really have to say that?”

Gladio smiled to himself. How could he forget? He was also Prompto’s caretaker.

“You should be thanking me. I just saved your plan.”

Prompto stared at him, confused for a few seconds, before his eyes lightened up.

“Wait, does that mean you agree?” he asked.

Gladio shrugged.

“I guess it’s worth a try,” he said. “We can find an excuse to stay at camp tomorrow. This way, we’ll have plenty of time to cook something while Iggy is not around.”

The kid’s excited smile seemed to irradiate a bright light, and that, if nothing else, made his decision worth the effort. He’d just have to smuggle some of Ignis’ cookbooks out of the Regalia during the night.

“Let’s go, now…” he messed Prompto’s hair with his hand. “Iggy will get mad at us if we take too long.”

They approached the other two with quick steps, having dinner together as usual. When they finished, Gladio used the time Prompto was helping Ignis with the dishes to approach Noctis, telling him of their plan. As expected, he looked at Gladio with skeptical eyes.

“Do you really think Specs won’t notice it?” he asked.

“I’m sure he will,” admitted Gladio. “But do you want to be the one to say no to Prompto?”

Noctis thought about it for a moment, lowering his eyes, defeated.

“Fine…”

 

* * *

 

They were planning to get a few frogs for Sania that day, and maybe do some simple hunting on the process to get money. Before they dismantled the camp, Gladio approached Ignis.

“Prompto’s not feeling that well.” He pointed at the boy close to him. “Maybe he should rest for a while.”

“Ah…” Prompto acted confused for a second, then agreed with a nod. “Yeah!”

“Really?” Ignis looked at his younger companion. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing important! I think I just need to rest a little.”

That answer was too quick and filled with anxiety to sound natural. Before Ignis could ask anything else, Gladio decided to help his friend.

“You two go and do what you have to,” he said. “I’ll stay here with him today and make sure he rests.”

“But, if that’s the case, maybe we should find a better place to—”

“There’s no need!” said Prompto. “Here is fine.”

“I thought you hated camping…”

Ignis stared at him for a while, clearly not buying any of that. Gladio gestured for him to play along, and Ignis seemed to get the message.

“Very well,” he said. “But Noct and I may take a while to get back. Do you want me to leave some food prepared for you?”

“Nah, just take a break from the kitchen, today,” said Gladio. “I can make us some Cup Noodles if we get hungry.”

Ignis didn’t insist.

“We’ll be back as soon as we can,” he said. “Call me if Prompto gets any worse.”

“Yeah,” answered Gladio, “go grab some frogs, I’ll take care of him.”

Ignis cringed at the suggestion.

“I’m not looking forward to it.”

“Me neither…” agreed Noctis.

Ignis looked at him, raising his brow.

“You’re the one who accepted her request,” he said.

“I still don’t know why I did it.”

Gladio watched as they walked their way through the beach, until they reached the Regalia, driving away. As soon as they disappeared from sight, he took the bag where he hid the cookbooks on the previous night, among the ingredients.

“So, what do you want to make?” he asked Prompto.

They searched the recipes for a while, until one of them caught Prompto’s attention.

“Fluffy Chiffon Cake,” he said. “Iggy likes this one, doesn’t he?”

“Yeah,” agreed Gladio. “What do we need to make it?”

Prompto listed the ingredients, while Gladio checked what they had.

“We’re only missing eggs and milk,” he said. “But we can find that anywhere, so it won’t be a problem.”

“I can go buy it!” suggested Prompto. “You can prepare things while I’m away.”

Gladio agreed, holding back an amused smile as he watched Prompto walk to the store. He looked excited like a puppy — or rather, a baby Chocobo.

He came back a few minutes later with what they needed, and that was when things started going downhill.

 

* * *

 

Ignis and Noctis, stayed silent for some time, until Ignis got tired of playing patient.

“Noct,” he said, “why don’t you be honest with me and tell me what you three are plotting since last night?”

He glanced at Noctis’ direction, and his friend purposefully kept his eyes on the landscape.

“Nothing…” he said.

“Noct.”

Noctis sighed.

“I don’t want to be the one to ruin their plans, ok?”

“Their lack of discretion already ruined it.”

Noctis pondered for a while, but ended up shrugging.

“Fine,” he said, “but you didn’t hear it from me, alright?”

“Of course not.”

He told Ignis about their conversation on the previous night, including Prompto and Gladio’s plan to cook for him. Ignis listened, a glint of amusement on his eyes.

“Well, that surely sounds like something Prompto would do,” he said as soon as Noctis finished talking.

“Yeah. He really wanted to surprise you, and how could we say no to that?”

“That’s understandable,” Ignis smiled. “But I must admit that I’m slightly concerned about what we’ll find when we go back.”

Noctis groaned at the thought.

“Don’t even tell me…” he said. “I just hope they managed to make something edible for lunch… I’m starving.”

 

* * *

 

Gladio and Prompto stared at their portable oven, both frowning at the sight.

“Was it supposed to look like that?” asked Prompto.

They opened the oven to take a better look at that ominous thing they had created, immediately regretting their decision, slamming it shut again.

“More importantly, was it supposed to smell like a burnt plastic bag?” asked Gladio.

“Of course it wasn’t!” Prompto looked at him, seeming lost. “What did we do wrong?”

“I’m not sure. Did we put all the ingredients?”

“Well, I think so…” Prompto checked the book, listing. “Sweet potatoes, eggs, milk, sugar…”

“You put sugar on it?” asked Gladio.

“Yes.”

“Well, shit. I thought you had only put flour, so I added sugar too.”

Prompto slapped his forehead.

“I forgot to add flour,” he said.

“Oh.”

They stared at each other, then turned to their sad creation.

“But is twice the sugar and no flour enough to destroy it like this?” asked Gladio.

“I don’t know!” Prompto raised his voice, gesticulating more than usual as he spoke. “Gladio, I don’t know what I’m doing! I’m a photographer, not a baker! I don’t know how cakes work!”

“Alright, calm down!” Gladio placed a hand on his shoulder. “Maybe we can still save it, somehow.”

They looked at the cake again.

“Should it be shrinking like this?” asked Gladio.

“I don’t know!”

Prompto got away from the oven, sitting on a chair, his brow furrowed and cheeks red. _Oh, shit_ _… He seemed about to cry._

“Hey, Prompto…” Gladio turned off the oven, pulling a chair to his side, sitting down. “Don’t feel bad. We tried. We just suck at it.”

Prompto looked at him, forcing a half-smile.

“You can say that again…”

Gladio stayed silent for a while, giving him time to calm himself.

“It’s harder than it looks,” said Prompto after a few minutes. “Next time, we better stick to a normal gift.”

“Well, we’d never know if we never tried,” answered Gladio, getting up from the chair. “Come, we should clean this mess before they come back.”

“You’re right.”

Prompto hesitated a little before proceeding.

“Thanks for putting up with my stupid idea.”

“Our stupid idea,” corrected Gladio. “Don’t go taking all the credit for it.”

This time, Prompto’s smile was a genuine one.

 

* * *

  

Ignis and Noctis arrived at the camp around an hour later, being welcomed by the lingering smell of burnt sugar.

“Did something die inside the oven?” asked Noctis.

“Our cake,” said Gladio.

Noctis looked at him, raising his brow.

“Did it go _that_ bad?”

“You have no idea.”

Ignis said nothing, approaching Prompto, who was sitting on a chair, avoiding eye-contact.

“Prompto…” he called.

He kept his eyes on the ground.

“I’m sorry,” his voice was low. “I just wanted to make a cake for you, to thank you for everything… But I’m so bad at it…”

Ignis placed a hand on his head, caressing his hair in a comforting gesture.

“It’s alright, Prompto,” he said. “Don’t worry about it. It’s normal to be bad at something when you do it for the first time.”

“But I’m always messing everything up! I thought I could do something nice, but… All I can do is take photos.”

“And you’re pretty good at it, aren’t you?” Ignis crouched in front of him, looking at his eyes. “You need to stop seeing only the bad things about yourself, and learn to appreciate more what you’re good at.”

He stayed silent, thinking about those words. Noctis sighed, then approached the two, also crouching beside Prompto.

“That’s right,” he said. “Things just wouldn’t be the same if you weren’t around.”

Prompto glanced at him, a small smile taking his lips.

“You think so?”

“Do you even need to ask?”

Ignis decided it would be better to leave those two alone for the time being.

“I believe I should start working on lunch now,” he said, getting up. “It’s pretty late, already.”

“Please…” said Noctis. “I’m so hungry.”

“Me too…” admitted Prompto. “Dealing with food left me starving.”

“Even when it smelled that bad?”

“Stop laughing at me, Noct!”

Prompto gave Noctis a light punch on the arm, and, once again, Ignis wondered if he and Gladio had been like that too. He walked away from them, starting to to think of something quick he could make for lunch, when Gladio approached him.

“Let me handle this,” he said, “it’s the least I can do after this whole fiasco.”

“Cup Noodles again?” asked Ignis.

Gladio playfully winked at him.

“My speciality.”

He ended up agreeing, watching as Gladio boiled some water. Ignis placed an arm around his waist, a light smile on his face.

“I would have expected something like this from Prompto, but not from you,” he said in a low tone.

Gladio groaned, remembering that monstrous thing he and Prompto had created.

“I think that cake will haunt me to the end of my life,” he added the water to four cups. “I might have underestimated the technical difficulties of cooking.”

“Teaches you to appreciate the chef.”

“I always do.”

Saying that, he gave Ignis a brief kiss on the lips.

“Well,” he said, “we still have a few minutes before it’s ready.”

Ignis smiled at him.

“What do you have in mind?” he asked.

He kissed Ignis’ forehead, then pulled him closer, embracing him. He almost expected to hear Noctis teasing them again, but it seemed he was too busy talking to Prompto to notice anything else.

“Does this sound good?” Gladio asked.

Ignis laughed against his chest, as he too placed his arms around his body.

“Good enough.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! :)


End file.
